Romantic Era: Important Composers, Theorists, and Performers
Franz Liszt (1811-1886, Hungarian)
Listen to the example below:
Franz Liszt began his career as an extraordinary concert pianist. Liszt composed a great deal of music that gave him an opportunity to show off his amazing talent and skill. Having been Hungarian born, he wrote nationalistic music based on Hungarian gypsy melodies. His music is worlds apart from his more poetic contemporary Frédéric Chopin. He is also credited for the creation of the symphonic poem—an extended single-movement work for orchestra—inspired by art, literature, and theater.
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924, Italian)
Giacomo Puccini was born into a musical family, but as a young child he was said to have been a very poor and undisciplined music student. It wasn’t until he saw an opera that he became inspired to compose. Today some of his operas are among the most frequently performed, including "La bohème," "Tosca," "Madama Butterfly," and "Turandot." In addition, some of his arias (vocal pieces) have become part of pop culture.
Listen to the example below:
Puccini is best known for his realistic opera. His operas focused on everyday characters, life, and love in contemporary society utilizing beautiful melodies, interesting orchestration, and dramatic as well as sentimental plot lines.
Romantic Era: Significant Pieces of Music
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943, Russian)
Listen to Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3:
